Butter cutter



Nov. 23, 1948. E. A. ANDERSON BUTTER CUTTER s Shee'ts-Sheet 3 Filed ma 22, 1944 FIG. 6.

EINAR A ANDERSON Patented Nov. 23, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUTTER CUTTER Einar A. Anderson. Minneapolis, Minn.

Application May 22, 1944, Serial No. 536,805

' 4 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in butter cutters and has for its object to provide an improved type of butter cutter having features of novelty and simplicity of construction which result in rapid and accurate work, easy cleaning, and a relatively inexpensive machine.

As most commonly processed for sale, butter comes in elongated rectangular blocks each of which weighs exactly one pound. For serving in restaurants and other types of eating places, this butter must be cut up in small rectangular blocks or pats constituting a single serving. It is customary to cut the butter transversely across its end into four pats. The thickness of these pats may be varied according to the serving requirements of the particular eating place. But that thickness customarily is graduated so that in each case the total number of slices across the block of 'butter will come out even when the block has reached the end of a cutting operation.

It is also customary to effect the cutting operation on the block by pushing it across strands of taut wires which sever the block endwise into pieces, and subsequently bringing a preferably cut ends of the block thereby severing the suitable thickness of pats from the main body of the block. It is also customary to employ staggered fingers for engaging the-cut pieces in successive order to cause them to be broken freely from one another. 4

A serious defect in such butter cutters as have heretofore existedhas been that the organization of elements for operating the cutter has resulted in a supporting table for the butter which is relatively very long; long enough, in fact, so that to get full use of the table two blocks of butter placed end to end are necessary. Also there has been very serious difficulty with the reciprocating cutter head and with the means for transmitting up and down reciprocating movement thereto. Further difiiculty has been experienced in providing a head whereon the finger pieces are mounted for producing effective separation of the butter when cut.

It is an object of my invention, therefore, to provide a butter cutter having a. short, sturdy frame, together with a reciprocating head and a link means connected with the sides thereof adapted to have a substantially direct vertical downward pull on the head.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a rocking lever structure having pairs of arms connected with the side links running to the head and to operate the link structure by an eccentric" 2 crank arrangement which transmits the power thrust at substantially right angles to the main lever driving means.

It is a further object of my invention to provideon the shaft, having thereon the eccentric crank, a cam arrangement for engaging and forwarding in a step by step manner a ratchet arrangement engageable with a toothed rack bar whereby the block of butter may be progressively forwarded to be forced over the cutting wires.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a multiplicity of toothed rack bars with variations in the spacing of the teeth whereby thicker or thinner pats of butter may be cut as conditions require.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a reciprocating cutter head mounted to move vertically in a plane very slightly offset from the i the various advantages above innumerated may slanting wire transversely across the projected be realized will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating an application of my invention in one of its forms:

Fig. 1 is an elevation view of my butter cutter viewed from the front. i

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation view of the butter cutter viewed at the right side of the butter cutter as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the butter cutter with the butter carrying tray partly cut away.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4. l r

Fig. 5a is a cross section taken on the lines 5a-5a of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional elevation view taken longitudinally through the eccentric crank drive means.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing details of the means for oscillating the rack bar.

Fig. 8 is a partial view of the structure in re duced proportions looking from right to left in Fig. 4 with parts broken away.

As illustrated, aloase I0 is provided having feet II which may be rubber pads secured by screws, Fig. 4, and the base is provided with an integral raised portion I2 which is centrally disposed transversely as tothe feet H, as shown in Fig. 1 but is forwardly disposed longitudinally with repusher frame 3 I spect to the feet II, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. This positioning of the support is both to get room for the transversely positioned operating members and to partly balance the forces coming down from the main supporting casting as the butter cutter is being operated.

A post or standard I3 is secured in an opening I4 in the base portion I2, Fig. 1. Upon this post is supported a cast table I5. This table includes a top flat portion I6 from which depends a boss I1, Fig. 4, which receives within it at I 8 the upper end of the standard I3. The table casting I is provided with a peripheral bottom flange I9, an upper rear bracket 20, an upper front bracket 2!, and a channeled guide lug 22, Fig. 4. The fiat part I6 is also provided with a slot opening 23, Figs. 3 and 4, through which the rack bar operator extends.

The upper edge 24 of rear bracket has a recess at its center leaving short projections 25 and 26 extending upwardly and has a narrow central projection or lip 21 projecting upwardly a slight distance above the level of the edge 24. This provides a support for a readily removable holding tray 28 the bottom 29 of which engages the top 30, Fig. 4, of a bar 2I' on projection 2| and at its rear end rests upon the edge 24 of rear bracket 20, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and is held from rearward displacement by lip 21. The tray 28 is thus readily removable from and replaceable upon its means of support on the table I5. It will preferably be made of enameled ware.

Mounted to slide upon guide rods 29' and 36 is a pusher frame 3|, Fig. 3. This frame 31 is provided with a pair of upstanding rods 33 and 34, Fig. 5. A pusher head 35 formed with horizontal and vertical crossing grooves 36 and 31,

Figs. 1 and 4, has a pair of arms 38 and 39 to secure it to tubular guides 40 and M, which receive the rods 33 and 34 and in that manner removably support the pusher head 85 in position to engage the rear end of a block of butter, indicated in dotted lines at 42, Fig. 4.

These parts of the supporting and pusher mechanism, the tray 28, and the pusher head 85 are thus made readily removable for cleaning.

A detent or pawl 43 is fast at 44 on a transverse shaft 45 pivoted in bosses 46 and 41 on the The pawl 43, Fig. 4, rides upon ratchet teeth on a ratchet rack bar 48 which slides in the channel of channel guide lug 22 and is supported upon a rod 49 entering grooves 50 across the tops of fork extensions 5I and 52, Fig.

' 3, of a rocking arm 53 later to be described. By 7 standards may be round in cross-section but I prefer to use standards that are rectangular in cross-section. Mounted on the standards 55 and 56, Figs. 1 and 5a, is a removable cutter frame 51 which is provided with a rectangular opening 58, Fig. 1. The side members I51 and I58 of frame member 51 are slotted, as indicated at I59 and I60, Figs. 3 and 5a, so that this and the slots, as clearly shown, set about the standards 55 and 56. In this manner the frame is readily rem0v-- able by simply being slid upwardly for cleaning. Across the opening 58 of the frame 51 are tightly strung a horizontal cutter wire 59 and a vertical cutter wire 60, shown best in Fig. 1. These wires are drawn very tight by means of respective sets of screws BI and 62, Fig. 3.

Mounted to slide on the guide standards 55 and 56 is a reciprocating cutter head 63. The cutter head 53 is provided with depending arms 66 and 61, one being longer than the other. The arms 66 and 61 have secured to the backs thereof slide blocks I66 and I61, in which are formed vertical slote I68 and I69, Figs. 3 and 5a, adapted to receive therein the respective uprights 55 and 56. This arrangement permits vertical sliding movements of the cutter head 63 upon or alongside of the standards 55 and '56.

The slide blocks I66 and I61 have formed thereon bosses BI and 8 I which are formed with internally threaded tubes I adapted to receive the externnal threads of respective thumb nuts 18 and. 80 and with a projecting collar portion I8I, Fig. 5a. These thumb nuts, as shown in Fig. 5a, are provided with a shoulder I8I which engages the outer limits of the tubes I80 and prevents the nuts from clamping the arms or links 64' and 65, which through apertures I64 therein, surround the outer surface of tubes I80. In this manner the arms 64 and 65 which support and reciprocate the cutter head 63 are secured thereto for ready disconnection so that the cutter head may easily be removed from the apparatus for cleaning.

Strung over the lower end of the depending arms 66 and 61 of the cutting head 68 is a cutter wire 68 which is thus held in obliquely extended operating position, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The wire 68 has one end held upon a lug 69, Fig. l, and the other end secured to a hook I0 which is operated by a screw member H on bracket lug 12 by which the wire can be suitably tensioned. The grooves indicated at 66 in Figs. 1 and 2 at the ends of depending arms 66 and 61 are so positioned that the cutting wire 68 is brought substantially into the vertical plane at the outer limits of crossed wires 59 and '60, which is important, as the cutting is done much more efficiently when the slanting reciprocating cutting wire is as close as possible to the fixed cutting wires. vided with a pair of protruding fingers 13 and 14 which have their rear faces 15, Fig. 4, directly in the plane of the front of the cutting wire 68. The front 16 of thesefingers has a curve, indicated clearly in Fig. '4. It is not in the arc of a circle, but is a logarithmic curve starting at a markedly acute angle, the pitch of the curve diminishing outwardly in logarithmically continued sequence of variation to the terminal points indicated at 16'. The curve itself was derived through extensive experimentation from a logarithmic scale ruler, and is accurately shown in relation to the perpendicular in Figs. 2 and 4.

For operating the links 64 and 65 a composite lever system is provided as follows:

A pair of long arms 11 and 18 is provided which are pivoted to screws 96 and 91, Fig. 1, which secure the upper ends of arms I1 and 18 to the lower ends of arms 64 and 65. The upper ends of arms 64 and 65 are secured to the tubular extensions I80 of bosses BI and BI located on the slide blocks I66 and I61 by thumb nuts 19 and 80 as previously mentioned. In side view the levers 11 and I8 correspond in shape to what'is shown in The reciprocating cutter head 63 is pro- "Figs. 2 and 4. Referring to Fig. 5ft will be noted that lever I8 has a curving arm 84 and lever 'I'I has a larger curving arm 85 which include short parallel portions 86 and 81, respectively, in which is mounted a pin 88 having thereon a head 89 i of a short arm 90 formed as a part of a cylindrical bearing 9|, Fig. 6. The respective lever portions TI and 18 are then brought together, as indicated at 92, Figs. 2, 4, 6 and 8. The arms 11 and I8 are brought together in parallel extensions, as indicated at 92 in Figs. 2 and 4. In Fig. 2 the extension I20 of arm 18 is shown secured by screws IZI tothe extension I22 of arm 11, and in Fig. 4 the extension I22 of arm TI is likewise shown secured to extension I20 by screws I2I, which are there indicated in section secured by screws or rivets so as to form in effect a single section. This section is pivoted upon a pin 93 between two depending bracket arms 94 and 95, Figs. 2, 4, 6 and 8 formed integrally with top casting I5. The longer arm 85 of lever 11 isprovided in order to give clearance for the standard support I3. Thus the two lever arms become in effect a unitarily formed lever pivoted at 93 at one end and pivoted at the respective ends of the fork at 96 and 91 to the lower ends of the arms 64' and 65.

A second bearing 91a circular in cross-section engages the inner annular wall of the cylindrical bearing 9| and is fast on a shaft 98 which, Fig. 5, is journaled in depending arms 99-I00 formed as part of the casting I5. The shaft 98 has thereon a hand'crank I I, Figs. 1 and 5, by which it is operated.

The shaft 98 also has thereon a cam I02 the surface of which engages a roller I03, Figs. 4 and '7, carried by a fork lever I04 pivoted at I05 by arms I06 formed as a part of and depending from the fiat portion I6 of table casting I5. A spring I01, Figs. 2 and 5, holds the lever I04 and the roller I 03 firmly against the cam I02 at all times.

Upon the lever I04 extending outwardly from the plane base through the axial center of bar I05 is a short arm I08. A second arm I09 is adjustably secured to the arm I08 by means of a...

screw I I0 passing through an opening III in the arm I09 and threaded into a threaded opening I I2 in the arm I08. A second screw I I3 is threaded into a threaded opening I I4 in arm I09 and the end of the screw is thereby made to bear against the upper side of arm I08. The member I09 is provided with the forked projection 53, Fig. 7, having two fork members 5| and 52, Fig. 3, each of which is provided with a transverse opentopped groove I I5, Figs. 3 and 7. In the grooves H5 rests the pin 49, which extends through the rack bar 48 and holds the same in proper position parallel with the surface of the talble I6 by adjustment of screw I I3.

In operation the crank IOI may be turned preferably clockwise or away from the front of the machine in the position of the crank in Fig. 2. The eccentric bearing 91a is turned by the shaft 98 within the cylindrical bearing 9I which results in exercising a thrust upon the composite lever system made up of levers l1, l8 and connecting parts. This thrust is exercised almost at direct right angles to the extent of the united lever portions 92 from its pivot at 93, or in a manner to give the most effective possible translation of power to the lever system to cause it to oscillate the cutter head 63 and slice off a section of the block of butter cut into four separate pats in front of the transverse and vertical wires 59 and 60. In this movement of the cutter head there is a double efie-ct. The downward movement of the crank action-of the fingers l3 and I4 to effect individual separation of the pats of butter thus formed. Continued rotation of the crank arm andeccentric driver lifts the cutter head to its top or preparatory position, and then through coaction of cam I02 upon shaft 98 and connecting parts causes therack bar 48 to go forward one step, so

a tooth thereon is engaged by the point of the detent or pawl 43 and forces the pusher head 35 and block of butter ahead of it forward one step, with the result that the front wall of the block of butter is divided into four rectangles, all ready to be sliced off upon the next rotative movement of the crank. I

This operation will be repeated with a sufficient degree of rapidity until all the cake of butter has been pushed through the horizontal and Vertical wires 59 and 60. It will be noted that in carrying down the cutter head 63 the pusher members 13 and T4 carry the sharp edge II6 of the bottom thereof in spaced timing back of the next cake of fast on theshaft 45 may be lifted from engagement with the teeth of rack bar 48 by the lifting of a handle member I I1, Figs. 2 and 3, which permits the usher head 35 to bereadily pulled back to initial position when another block of butter may be positioned upon the tray 28' and the operation be repeated.

The advantages of my invention have been madeapparent in the foregoing description. It is, however, pertinent to call attention as an especially important advantage to the fact that the butter cutter of my invention is not only extraordinarily compact and simple in its arrangement of operative parts, but that it may be constructed at a very greatly reduced cost over other butter cutters, and that in operation the power is applied both in the reciprocating of the cutter head and the forwarding of the block of butter against the cutter wires in a manner to give a substantially continuous flow of power application without doubling or increasing power loads at any particular point. Thus the forwarding of the block of butter against the wires to separate it into blocks longitudinally takes place at one point in the revolution and the cutting action by the descending cutter head at another and following point.

A further very important advantage of the invention resides in the provision of a lever system having its operative arm pivoted to a rear part of the machine and connected with an eccentric crank arrangement in such a manner that the power exerted upon the lever system is by a right angled thrust from the power means, and the levers actuating the cutter head operate with a direct downward pull in carrying the cutter head down to force the cutting through the cake of butter for cutting of the pats to be served.

A further great advantage of my invention is found in so mounting al1 parts which may become smeared with butter during. the cutting operation so they may be readily removed for cleaning by immersion in boiling water, and with equal readiness be restored to operative positions.

Iclaim: W

1. A butter cutter comprising a pedestal-supported table, means to support a block of butter thereupon and to advance it step by step in a direction longitudinally of the table, means to out the butter longitudinally as it is advanced, a cutter head and cutting wire thereon mounted for reciprocation in a vertical plane, a pair of links pivoted to the sides of the cutter head for supporting and reciprocating it, a lever system consisting of two members, each having a bend so as to have two parallel portions straddling the pedestal and the table and having other parallel portions at their other ends secured together and pivotally supported from the rear of the table. and being pivoted at their front ends to the links and reciprocating the cutter head thereby, and means connected with the lever system between its pivots for oscillating it and causing the links in reciprocating the cutter head to move in substantially a vertical plane.

2. A butter cutter comprising a pedestal-supported table, means to support a block of butter thereupon and to advance it step by step in a direction longitudinally of the table, means to cut the butter longitudinally as it is advanced, a cutter head and cutting wire thereon mounted for reciprocation in a vertical plane, a pair of links pivoted to the sides of the cutter head for supporting and reciprocating it, a lever system consisting H of two members, each having a bend so as to have two parallel portions straddling the pedestal and the table and having other parallel portions at their other ends secured together and pivotally supported from the rear of the table and being pivoted at their front ends to the links and re ciprocating the cutter head thereby, and an eccentric crank operative beneath the table and toward the pedestal and having a substantially right-angled connection with the lever system for oscillating it upon the rear pivot and causing the ends of the two members and the links connected therewith to move in a substantially vertical plane and thereby to reciprocate vertically the cutter head.

3. A butter cutter embodying a table, a support for holding a block of butter on said table, means for advancing the butter on said support, a cutter member operative for cutting the butter as it is advanced upon the support, a pair of substantially vertically positioned links pivotally connected on either side of said cutter, a pair of levers pivotally connected at one end to said links and at the other end to a bracket depending from said table, and an eccentric crankshaft positioned on the underside of said table and having pivotal connection with said levers at a point intermediate their pivotal connections with said links and said bracket and being operative to rotate said levers on their pivotal connections with said bracket in such a manner that the opposite ends of said levers vertically reciprocate said links and said cutter member.

4. A butter cutter embodying a table, a support for holding a block of butter on said table, means including a rack bar for advancing the butter on said support, a first bellcrank lever having one arm pivotally connected to said rack bar for reciprocating the rack bar, a second bellcrank lever having one arm positioned adjacent the other arm of said first bellcrank lever, and a cam member contacting the other arm of said second bellcrank lever in such a manner that upon rotation of said cam member said bellcrank levers move in unison to reciprocate said rack bar.

EINAR. A. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,648,611 Eldridge et a1. Nov. 8, 1927 1,652,185 Slaten Dec. 13, 1927 1,656,601 Novick Jan. 17, 1928 1,807,849 Kubon June 2, 1931 

